Lodging

UMB payments for lodging expenses are based on the standard room rate as evidenced on submitted receipts as described in Financial Services Procedures on Business Travel. 

Lodging FAQs & Scenarios Printable PDF

FAQs

1. When is Lodging allowable? ▾

  • Please see Table 1 to determine if your trip is eligible for Lodging.

Table 1: When is Lodging Allowable?

Payment for overnight Lodging may be appropriate under any of the following conditions:

Night before the event begins

Night after the event ends

1.  Destination is more than 50 miles from the traveler’s starting point after subtracting commute miles. Nonemployees do not subtract commute miles.

YES

YES

2.  Event begins before 8 a.m. and the traveler is in travel status for at least 12 hours.

YES

NO

3.  Event ends after 8 p.m. and the traveler is in travel status for at least 12 hours

NO

YES

If the traveler satisfies numbers 2 and 3 above:

YES

YES

2. What types of rooms may be paid with UMB Funds? ▾

  • Only the standard room rate and related taxes can be paid by UMB. Excess charges must be paid with external funds (e.g., personal, another entity).

3. What are UMB Funds? ▾

  • UMB Funds are all funds administered by UMB, regardless of fund source. UMB Funds include state-appropriated general funds, tuition, fees, other income, auxiliary funds, revolving/discretionary funds, Designated Research Initiative Funds, gifts, contract or grant revenues, and other restricted funds.

4. Can I reserve a standard room at a luxury hotel? ▾

  • No. Expenses must be reasonable and necessary to meet the purpose of the trip. Expenses incurred for personal preference or convenience will not be paid.

5. I review or approve travel transactions. How can I tell if the standard rate submitted on the Travel Expense Form is reasonable?  ▾

  • Visit the federal per diem rate page to determine reasonable rates for the location and time of year. Also consider local events that may impact hotel rates (e.g., sports, entertainment, large conferences, etc.). Feel free to visit the hotel’s web page to assess whether the hotel is luxurious, extravagant, charges extra for city or harbor views, etc. Travelers and approvers are expected to exercise good judgment and make responsible decisions when administering UMB Funds.

6. What do I do if a traveler submits a reimbursement request for expenses above the standard room rate? ▾

  • Contact the hotel for the standard room rate. Enter the standard room rate on the Travel Expense Form and include a note stating that reimbursement is requested for the standard room rate. The traveler is responsible for the rate difference and will not be reimbursed for the full amount.

7. How do I make reservations? ▾

  • Call the hotel and request a standard room. Use your personal credit card to secure the room and pay for charges.

8. What should I do if I do not have a credit card or I do not want to use my credit card? ▾

  • Check with your Travel Administrator to see if your department allows hotel charges on the UMB Purchasing Card (P-Card). If the department allows the use of the P-Card, you may charge the lodging to the P-Card.

9. How do I use the P-Card? ▾

There are two scenarios:

  1. The traveler is the P-Card holder.          
    1. Contact the hotel and use the P-Card to secure the room and pay for the room and related taxes.
    2. Personal charges, including internet, must be charged to a personal credit card.
  2. The traveler is not the P-Card holder.
    1. Obtain a Credit Card Authorization Form from the hotel. The hotel will fax or email the form. 
    2. Indicate that only room and tax may be charged to the P-Card by selecting the appropriate choices on the form. Double-check that the rate on the form is the correct rate for the standard room.
    3. The P-Card holder signs the form and indicates the traveler’s name on the form.

 

  • The P-Card holder is responsible for ensuring that only authorized expenses are charged to the P-Card. Any unauthorized expenses must be repaid to UMB. Failure to comply with policies can result in disciplinary action.
  • A Travel Request is required whenever the P-Card is used. The TR and copies of the receipts must be retained with the P-Card records.

10. Can I use the P-Card for a non-employee? ▾

  • Yes. A Travel Request is required even if the travel is In-State or Out-of-State.

11. What do I need to include on the Travel Expense Form when the reimbursement does not include Lodging expenses on an overnight trip? ▾

  • Indicate how the Lodging expenses were paid (e.g., on the P-Card, by the host organization, etc.). Here’s why: When Travel Expense Forms are audited, the auditor will question why the Lodging expenses were not reimbursed. If no explanation is noted on the form, the reason will not be clear as to whether the charges were disallowed, overlooked in error, paid by another traveler, or some other reason. In some cases the charges will subsequently be entered and paid to the traveler, resulting in duplicate payments or payments that the traveler was not entitled to receive (i.e., paid by another entity or possibly to another traveler).

Scenarios

I. Charlie is an employee who lives in Baltimore. He leaves his house at 6 a.m. to attend a conference in Washington, D.C., scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. After subtracting Charlie’s commute miles, the distance attributable to travel is 30 miles each way. Charlie is not eligible for Lodging. 

II. Sally is an employee who lives in Newark, Del. She plans to attend the same conference in Washington, D.C., scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. After subtracting Sally’s commute miles, the distance attributable to travel is 30 miles each way. Sally is not eligible for Lodging.

III. Joe works for the University of Maryland Medical Center and lives in Newark, Del., near Sally, but Joe teleworks. He plans to leave his home at 5:30 a.m. to attend the same conference in Washington, D.C., scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Joe is eligible for Lodging the night before and the night after the conference because the destination is more than 50 miles from Joe’s starting point. Non-employees are not required to deduct commute mileage.

IV. Mary is an employee who lives near Sally in Newark, Del., but Mary is a teleworker. She plans to attend the same conference in Washington, D.C. scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For teleworkers, commute mileage is calculated from the traveler’s main work location (home) to the supervisor’s main work location (UMB campus). After subtracting commute miles, the distance attributable to travel is 30 miles each way. Mary is not eligible for Lodging.

V.  Charlie is an employee who lives in Baltimore. He leaves his house at 5 a.m. to attend a conference in Washington, D.C., scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. He needs to arrive by 7 a.m. to meet with colleagues and set up his booth. Charlie is eligible for Lodging the night before the conference begins.